It is proposed to take Nos. 3 and 10. By agreement the Dáil shall meet at 10.30 a.m. tomorrow and shall adjourn not later than 4 p.m. and business shall be confined to Estimates for the Public Service.
Order of Business.
I take it that the arrangements for tomorrow's sitting are agreed.
I should like to ask the Taoiseach if he will make Government time available today to allow us debate the serious crisis that has developed in our prisons especially in the last week.
I will permit the Taoiseach to answer that but I will not allow it to be developed.
No, sir.
I do not intend to be in conflict with the Chair, but the matter is of sufficient importance for the Taoiseach to allow us time to debate the problem.
No, sir.
We have understood for once that the Taoiseach was emphatic when he said "no". Will the Taoiseach give any justification or explanation for that curt reaction in view of the circumstances?
The Opposition will have to begin to learn that if they want to raise matters of a kind that are political in character and which they think they can get some votes out of they will do it in their own time and not in the Government's time.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
That was a very uncalled for remark.
Is the Taoiseach saying that this issue is only political in the sense of party partisan?
I will not allow a discussion on this.
We are saying that that is the way the Opposition treat it.
This is a very serious matter.
What happens is that such questions develop into an argument and I do not want that.
It is much more serious than that, and the Taoiseach knows it.
(Dún Laoghaire): The Deputy should allow the Deputy Leader of his party to do the talking and not be getting himself excited.
I should like to ask the Taoiseach when the debate he promised on political union will take place in the House?
A discussion on that subject will be arranged between the Whips at a time in advance of the Milan summit. My view is that the debate will be most useful if it is as near as possible to the Summit, because there are developments being reported from time to time and the House should have the fullest information so that a discussion can take place immediately before the Summit in Milan.
My understanding is that there is a meeting of Foreign Ministers before that to prepare the way for the Milan Summit, and I should like to know if the debate will take place before that meeting.
My view is, when the Whips come to consider it, that it will be best that the discussion in the House should take place after there have been such preliminary contacts which would enable us to give the best indication to the House as to the likely shape of events and the issues that are going to arise that will be relevant to us.
I am not going to allow a debate on this item.
I take it what the Taoiseach has said means that the week before the Milan Summit will be the likely occasion for a debate in the House?
Yes.
I should like to ask the Minister for Energy in view of recent reports if he will be introducing legislation in the House concerning a take over of Cork Gas, thus securing gas supplies for consumers in Cork city.
That is not in order because it does not relate to legislation that was promised.
Will the Minister be introducing legislation on the matter?
That does not arise.
I should like to ask the Taoiseach when it is intended to introduce the long promised legislation regarding the complaints commission which was tied to the Criminal Justice Bill? That was promised a long time ago.
In the near future.
Within two weeks?
I should like to remind the Taoiseach that a similar question was asked six weeks ago and the Taoiseach's reply was exactly the same, "in the near future". Can the Taoiseach be more specific?
It is almost ready.
Surely my question was in order?
It was not. If legislation was promised it would be quite in order, but as far as I know no such legislation was promised.
Are the Government Ministers not talking to the Deputies on that side?
We are not muzzled like the Opposition Deputies. We can talk when we want to.
I should like the permission of the Chair to raise on the Adjournment the question of the serious position in our prisons, and I appeal to the Chair to give favourable consideration to that request.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
Is the Taoiseach aware of the large number of Spanish fishing trawlers which are breaching our limits and fishing illegally in Irish waters, an indication of the huge fleet——
That does not arise on the Order of Business. The Deputy will have to find another way of raising the issue.
Does the Taoiseach intend to raise this issue with the Spanish authorities? It is a very serious issue.
I do not dispute that but it does not arise on the Order of Business.
A number of vessels have been taken in and charged by the protection services in the last few days, and that is an indication of the seriousness of the position.
The Deputy will have to explore other avenues.
This is a very serious matter. Can the Taoiseach give an indication whether he intends to——
The Chair rules that the Deputy will resume his seat.
(Interruptions.)
The Deputy will please resume his seat.
I want to ask the Taoiseach if the Government have received details of the review being carried out by Bord na Móna on the proposed building of a briquette factory at Derryfada——
The Deputy knows perfectly what is in order on the Order of Business, and that is not in order.
Bord na Móna are to send a review to the Government, and I want to know if the Government have received the review?
I have no knowledge of that.
I want to know——
There are several other ways of doing that.
I would like to raise this matter on the Adjournment.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I want to ask the Minister for the Environment if he is aware of the condition——
You will have to put down a question——
What action is the Minister going to take? Because of the very heavy rainfall over the weekend——
You will have to put down a question.
I sent a telegram to the Minister for the Environment——
Will the Deputy please resume his seat.
(Interruptions.)
I want to ask the Taoiseach about legislation which has been promised for the last two and a half years. This question has been raised in this House on many occasions. When are the Government likely to introduce legislation on the National/Notional Development Corporation so that the Government can give their various opinions in this House as distinct from outside?
The heads are being drafted and the legislation will be introduced shortly.
That is the same reply the Taoiseach has given here for the last 12 months or two years.
There is nothing I can do about it.
No, it is not. That is not what I have been saying for the last 12 months.
Perhaps there were some variations, but I am asking about legislation which has been promised.
I patiently allowed your question and I allowed the answer. There is nothing more I can do.
I would like the Taoiseach to clarify what he is saying because I want to understand exactly what he means. What does he mean by "shortly"? We seem to speak different languages.
As soon as the drafting process is completed which is now well under way.
What is meant by "under way"? We get the same nonsense every day. This is a farce.
May I ask the Taoiseach——
May I have a little order for my constituency colleague?
It is easily known there are elections in the air.
I get on with everybody.
Thank you very much, Deputy, I hope you will be saying the same thing at the doors next week. May I ask the Taoiseach when legislation will be brought into the House, if legislation is necessary, to extend the polling hours from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., and why the hour was added in the first place?
There is no promise of any such legislation.
It is not necessary.
As a matter of urgency, may I ask the Taoiseach if some arrangements can be made to provide social welfare payments for the employees of The Irish Press newspapers who have been laid off recently?
That does not arise on the Order of Business. I have ruled on that on several occasions.
That is being done.